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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. rash — hasty
  3. pop — soda
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. ball — a dance
  7. face — part of the head
  8. press — newspapers
  9. kick — in football
  10. face — to point toward
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. press — to push
  15. pop — to visit
  16. season — in sport
  17. ball — a great time
  18. pop — music
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. face — to confront
  22. rash — a series
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. press — a publisher

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com